Monday Blurts

There is really nothing new going on except for the house being torn up because we are painting/remodeling/redecorating. So, I thought that I would just post some random things that have popped into my head or little things that have been said that I find funny.

*I just put LC on the bus for the very first time. Another Kindergartener's mom called and said that the kids in our neighborhood who are afternoon Kindy are able to take the bus to school, so I put Lauren on it and off she went. She was soooooo excited.

*Last week we passed a Wendy's and Lauren blurts out that she "hates Wendy's because they have bad toys." I informed her that when I was a kid, our meals didn't even come with toys. Enter Henry who says, "Yeah Mom, but that was like the 1980's!" Todd and I just looked at each other and busted out laughing. Who knew that the 1980's were the stone-ages?LOL

*Picking out colors for the walls of your home is a very daunting task. #1paint is expensive, AND #2 painting is a pain so you want to get it right the first time.

*Holy Mary, the sun is hot out here. We don't have anymore window treatments on the windows so the sun coming in makes the house feel like a sauna. It doesn't help that we have been in the 90's for the last 2 weeks with another week of it to go. Last year at this time, we had our first snow flurries.

*I love Lowe's and Home Depot. Love. Them. I could spend hours in there looking at faucets and doors and appliances and window treatments and light fixtures and flooring and...It is so much fun to be able to make plans for the house and know that we can carry them through and make this home our own, finally.

*My stress level is almost at a zero these past few weeks. The pain in my chest is gone, my heart has stopped palpitating constantly and the knot in my stomach has disappeared. Most importantly, my hair stopped falling out. It is amazing what anxiety can do to a body. It is nice to be able to breathe.

*I was reminded once again this past weekend, how short life is and how we should never take anything for granted. A very special family is going through a very hard time right now. I hope they know that we are thinking of them and praying that peace is theirs. We love you all.

SOLD!

After 17 months of being on the market and 14 months of being vacant, our house in Illinois finally sold on Friday, September 10. It was a very long road filled with a broken dishwasher that flooded the house, a tree falling on our fence, worry every time that a storm came through that the basement would flood or the roof would leak, 7 offers and one failed deal. To say it was stressful is an understatement. Add to that, we were carrying 2 mortgage payments, so at times it made life unbearable. It was hard to tell the kids that we weren't able to have birthday parties for them, or that we couldn't go to certain places because they were too expensive, or that we couldn't order from Scholastic this (every) time. When we did go to things, it was because they were free. I mean, seriously! I camped 3 times this past year just to be able to take the kids on "trips" so that they could have some fun.

Selling the house is very bittersweet, though. I loved that house and there are so many things I will miss about it. The wood trim, the wood floors, my stove, the extra garage, the front porch, the rhododendron out front that bloomed every year at LC's birthday--especially that. We moved into that house and then 6 months later we were pregnant with Wyatt. We brought all three kids home to that house and spent 10 1/2 wonderful years there that were filled with love and laughter and tremendous growth. I am someone who believes that buildings have a "soul" of their own, per se, and I believe that we left some really good karma back at that house in Spring Grove.

It belongs to new people, though. I do take comfort in the fact that it was the same people whose deal fell through in April that came back in August, still wanting to buy it. We have been told by both our realtor and our lawyer that the wife of the couple broke down into tears at the closing because she was so happy that the sale finally went through; she loved the home that much. I am glad that someone bought my house that will love it there as much as I did.

So, good-bye Spring Grove, IL. Thank you for the wonderful memories.

First Day of School 2010

The boys had their first day's of 5th and 2nd grade last week and seem to be settling in.



Lauren had her first day today and was she excited!! She asked all morning, "is it time, yet?" She had already picked out her outfit last night and since her hair is now long enough, she wanted a "back ponytail", which I have to admit, I regret doing because I'm worried she looks like a boy. But, she wanted it, and I wanted to make her happy, so I went against my better judgment.

When we picked her up, she was standing with her brothers and was all smiles and exclaimed, "I had a good day!"